Earned Media Reigns Supreme in the PESO Model®

The rise of AI discoverability and generative engine optimization is changing the way communications professionals think about earned media. A new report by D S Simon Media, “Earned Media in the AI Era,” finds that earned media has emerged as the most important element of the PESO Model® for improving AI discoverability.

The report surveyed 168 PR executives working at agencies, brands, and nonprofits. The key finding: 44% of respondents selected earned media as the most important PESO Model® media type for AI discoverability. That was 42% higher than the next pick, paid media. Owned media followed at 19%, while shared media was selected by just 5%. AI is disrupting the PESO Model®. Not only is earned media most important but optimizing your earned media to be found by the LLMs is critical.

The Industry is Taking Notice

The research shows nearly universal recognition of the growing connection between earned media and AI discoverability. 99% of respondents said it is important to increase the number of earned media campaigns to improve AI discoverability. Earned media also stands out when compared with other PR and marketing initiatives. 89% of respondents described earned media as important compared to other efforts.

Communications teams are also reflecting this priority in their budgets. 52% of respondents said that more than half of their AI discoverability budget goes toward earned media. PR professionals are clearly recognizing the connection between earned media and AI discoverability. We are seeing that in our 20% increase in earned media campaigns for clients.

Agencies and Brands Navigate Different Challenges

While the industry increasingly recognizes the importance of earned media, agencies and brands report different levels of confidence in their ability to optimize coverage for AI discoverability. Overall, 87% of agency respondents said they feel they have been successful optimizing earned media for AI discoverability. That compares with 59% of brand respondents.

More than a third of brand respondents said they are not doing a good job optimizing their earned media for AI discoverability, pointing to a significant opportunity for organizations to improve their approach. The biggest barriers also differ between the two groups. For agencies, the agency/client relationship is the top challenge, cited by 50% of respondents. For brands, lack of clear measurement ranks first at 44%.

The Long-Term Value of Earned Media

The findings suggest that the value of earned media is no longer limited to the audience that sees or interacts with content when it is first published. Media coverage can create lasting associations between an organization, its experts, and the topics audiences are searching for. 

Yet, there is still work to be done. Agencies and brands need to align on goals, measurement, and strategy. The organizations that figure this out will be better positioned to compete for attention in an AI-driven discovery environment.

You can download the report here, or email AI@dssimonmedia.com to receive a copy.